Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-05-12

the climate is cool and lnuist from the
time of planting to that Of harvesting.
For producing crop for the market
late varieties of potatoes are neraliy
more profitable than early ones Not
| many years ago, early potatoes raised
in the North brough good prices. But
such is not now the case. Every city
market is supplied with potatoes raised
| in the South long before those raised
here are in condition to dig. Early
potatoes have ceased to rank as luxu-
ries several weeks before any raised in
the North are at a size to harvest, and
their price has fallen. Early potatoes
| can not be depended on to keepin good
condition during the winter, and they
are not wanted in the spring except for
planting. Potatoes that ripen in Octo-
Der, if properly taken care of during
the winter, will be in excellent cOndi-
ton in the spring. They can then be
sent to market, and will ordinarily
bring good prices Every sfarmer
should raise some early potatoes for his
own use. and he may find it profitable
to raise some to sell in towns not sup
piled with those produced in the South.
Tie main crop, however. should be of
the late varieties, which are as rule
much the most productive. The varie-
ties that give the largest yield are those
that continue to produce tubers till
quite late in the summer. -
Observations in most parts of the
country show that what Is called ''new
land"-that which has not been
cropped many years-is best for pro-
ducing potatoes. They require consid-
cradle potash. in which old soils are
likely to be deficient A stiff clay soil
is not suitable for producing potatoes,
though it may contain much potash.
1t is likely to be too compact to allow
the tubers to freely expand in it. 1t
becomes very hard in a dry time and
sticky in the fall when the potatoes are
dug. Sandy soils, if well fertilized,
are good for producing early potatoes,
but large crops of late potatoes can not
generally be raised on them if the sea-
son is dry. The quality of potatoes is
likely to be influenced by the character
of the soil in which they grow. Dry,
mealy potatoes of sweet, nutty flavor
are not produced on moist land or on
that on which rank manure has been
applied. They are only raised on soil
quite rich in potash and lime and which
owes its fertility chiefly to well-""tted
vegetable matter. like leaf mold. The
best fertilizers for land that is to be de-
voted to potatoes are well-rotted stable
manure, forest leaves, bone meal and
ashes. Rank manure is likely to pro
duce ''scab" and to impart bad flavor
to potatoes.
Clean culture is necessary to the pro-
duction of large crops of potatoes, as
weeds and grass take nutriment from
the soil that should go to the potato
plants. Clean culture will also render
the harvesting of the crop an easy
matter. There is no more disagreeable
work on farm than digging and pick
ing up potatoes on land nearly covered
with rank grass and weeds. Many
good tubers will be cut, bruised or lost
if the land where the potatoes grow is
covered with vegetation at the time of
harvest. The land, too, will be in bad
for crop the following year.
If it is kept clean. however, it will be
in excellent condition for most any
kind of a crop. 1t may not be advisa-
BILE to use the plow or cultivator he
tween the rows of potatoes after the
period of poisoning, which is about
the time the tubers are formed, as they
should not be disturbed. 1t is better
to use n sharp hoe for scraping the
sides of the rows. and not to allow it to
enter the soil to II greater distance than
is required to kill the weeds. This is
the pan usually pursued in cultivating
sweet potatoes. and it works well with
common potatoes Chicago Times. y